No restrictions on access.
This collection consists of 6 linear feet of mostly correspondence and photographs gathered by Schulze or Toliver, of German aces and pilots, including the following: Hans Otto Boehm, Erich Hartmann, Adolf Garland, Gunther Rall, Dietrich Hrabak, Edward Neumann, Hajo Herrmann, Georg Elder, Johannes Steinnoff, Hans-Ulrich Rudel, Jagerblatt Molder, Walter Schuck and Wolfgang Spate. There are also German combat reports, accounts by German test pilots on World War II captured aircraft, information on the Tirpitz raid, photographs of Knights' Cross and Oak Leaves recipients, and material relating to the JG5 and JG51 Squadrons. Besides the correspondence and photography, the collection consists of obituaries, programs, publications and over 70 videos.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
German World War II Ace Collection [Schulze], Accession 2012-0025, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Kurt Schulze, Gift, 2012
Kurt Schulze (b. 1921) began his German military service in 1939 as a cadet with the Air Service Corps. He started out as a wireless operator and air traffic controller before becoming a navigation officer. As a Navigator, he flew 23 night missions in Dornier Do 217s over England. In September of 1943, he received his wings as a pilot and in March 1944 he started fighter pilot training. From then until May 1945, Schulze flew 103 missions. Sixty-five of those missions were in Messerschmitt BF-109 on the Russo-Finnish border. When Finland signed a peace agreement with Russia, Schulze's unit was moved to Northern Norway. Schulze's last nine missions were in command of the first JG-51 squadron. After the war, he was turned over to the American Forces and then to the French. In 1951 he moved to California and in 1958 he became a US citizen. Schulze had a strong friendship with Colonel Raymond Toliver, author of books on German World War II pilots, and he translated German correspondence and documents for Toliver's research, as the author did not speak or write German.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at
Arranged, described, and encoded by Patti Williams, 2012.
The German World War II Ace Collection [Schulze] is arranged by content type.
[Edward] Neuman - [Dieter] Hrabak
[Georg] Elder
[Hajo] Herrmann
[Wolfgang] Späte
Signed releases for "Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe", "The Blond Knight of Germany", "Holt Hartmann vom Himmel!"; correspondence on Gordon Gollob and Johannes Wiese
Günther Rall
Erich Hartmann
Johannes Steinhoff
Hans-Ulrich Rudel [1 of 2]
Hans-Ulrich Rudel [2 of 2]
Ray Toliver in Germany [1 of 2]
Ray Toliver in Germany [2 of 2]
Interviews - Erich and Ursula Hartmann, Siegfried von der Schulenburg, Wilhelm Batz, Hartmann Grasser
Interviews - Hartmann Grasser, Dieter Hrabak, Günther Rall, Rall and Walter Krupinski, Alfred Hartmann, Frau Hartmann, Heinrich Mertens
Jäger Blatt Mölders; Gemeinschaft der Jagdflieger E.V.; correspondence and photographs [1 of 2]
Gemeinschaft der Jagdflieger E.V; "Jägerblatt" magazine; correspondence [2 of 2]
"The Letters of Hans Otto Boehm, Historian - German Fight Pilots Association"
Photographs of German Aces [1 of 2]
The original folder title, "Schwertern" (Swords) may refer to German pilots awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern).
Photographs of German Aces [2 of 2]
The original folder title, "Schwertern" (Swords) may refer to German pilots awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern).
Tirpitz [Battleship] [1 of 3]
Tirpitz [Battleship] [2 of 3]
Tirpitz [Battleship] [3 of 3]
Miscellaneous 1 - German pilots [1 of 3]
Miscellaneous 1 - German pilots [2 of 3]
Miscellaneous 1 - German pilots [3 of 3]
Hans Liska album [1 of 2]
Hans Liska album [2 of 2]
Colonel Ray Toliver - photographs, correspondence, articles
Battle of Britain
Werner Mölders - copy of logbook
Aces 1 - 15, over 200 victories
"Eichenlaub"; photographs of German Aces, 1/2; A - Ml
The original folder title, "Eichenlaub" (Oak Leaves) may refer to German pilots awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub).
"Eichenlaub"; photographs of German Aces, 3/4; Mh - Z
The original folder title, "Eichenlaub" (Oak Leaves) may refer to German pilots awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub).
German POWs [Prisoners of War]
"Ritterkreuz"; photographs of German Aces
The original folder title, "Ritterkreuz" (Knight's Cross) may refer to German pilots awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes).
General Adolf Galland [1 of 2]
General Adolf Galland [2 of 2]
"Diamanten - Gold"; photographs of German Aces [1 of 2]
The folder title, "Diamanten - Gold" may refer to the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten), the highest degree of the Iron Cross award.
"Diamanten - Gold"; photographs of German Aces [2 of 2]
The folder title, "Diamanten - Gold" may refer to the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten), the highest degree of the Iron Cross award.
Erich Hartmann [1 of 3]
Erich Hartmann [2 of 3]
Erich Hartmann [3 of 3]
Miscellaneous 2 - Germany [1 of 2]
Miscellaneous 2 - Germany [2 of 2]
Miscellaneous 3 - U.S. Pilots; Finnish Air Force; British Pilots [1 of 2]
Miscellaneous 3 - U.S. Pilots; Finnish Air Force; British Pilots [2 of 2]
Miscellaneous 4 - Germans [1 of 2]
Miscellaneous 4 - Germans [2 of 2]